Identity Theft

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 7, 2015

Computer security experts warn that successful data breach of Anthem, largest in health care industry, will likely lead hackers to target other large insurers as medical identity theft has become booming business; Anthem hack has already resulted in proliferation of email scams; question of whether data breach was work of independent actors or if it was state-sponsored espionage remains unresolved. MORE

Feb. 2, 2015

Brooklyn warehouse fire leaves thousands of confidential documents, including checks, medical records and court transcripts, strewn across Williamsburg; New York City sends disaster recovery workers to collect debris, but hospitals and city agencies play down threat of identity theft; many neighborhood residents feel that fire was deliberately set. MORE

Dec. 6, 2014

Michael Wilson Crime Scene column examines New York City Police investigation into Brooklyn credit fraud where thieves, using list of stolen credit card numbers, used smartphone app to order pizza from Domino's Pizza; notes scheme was a way to determine which cards were still active and could be used for bigger purchases. MORE

Nov. 26, 2014

Ann Carrns Your Money Adviser column examines how best to keep one's finances safe while holiday shopping, after increasing amount of data breaches that have occurred at retail chains and restaurants; notes fallout from theft can be less damaging if shopper uses a credit, rather than a debit, card. MORE

Oct. 18, 2014

Pres Obama signs executive order to strengthen security on federally issued credit cards and government payment systems, part of push to protect Americans from identity theft and fraud. MORE

Oct. 7, 2014

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr announces indictment of five people who used information stolen from Saks Fifth Avenue customers to buy luxury goods in 91 different transactions from store’s shoe department; alleged ringleader Tamara Williams and four employees at Saks are accused in 66-count indictment that includes charges of grand larceny and identity theft. MORE

Sep. 18, 2014

The breach, which went unnoticed for five months, has become the largest known attack on a retailer. MORE

Sep. 17, 2014

New York State Atty Gen Eric T Schneiderman announces indictment of five people charged in an identity theft ring that stole more than $850,000 over several years; scheme involved tellers from several banks in the region stealing personal information from customers and using it to withdraw money from their accounts. MORE

Sep. 4, 2014

Thousands of fresh credit and debit card numbers that have surfaced on identity theft black market appear to trace back to breach at Home Depot; if valid, hack would top record-setting 2013 breach of Target's network. MORE

Aug. 28, 2014

Number of United States banks have been struck by hackers in series of coordinated attacks that have siphoned off data including checking and savings account information; banks include JPMorgan Chase and at least four others; motivation and origin of attacks are not yet clear but the cyberattacks are described by experts as sophisticated. MORE

Aug. 15, 2014

Government investigator says Internal Revenue Service failed to do background checks on some private contractors who handled confidential tax data, exposing more than a million taxpayers to risk of fraud and identity theft. MORE

Aug. 6, 2014

Security researchers at Milwaukee-based firm Hold Security say Russian crime ring has amassed largest known collection of stolen Internet credentials, including 1.2 billion user name and password combinations and more than 500 million email addresses; records include confidential material gathered from 420,000 websites, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to very small websites. MORE

Aug. 6, 2014

Tips for those worried about security of their personal data in light of discovery by Hold Security that Russian hackers possess hundreds of millions of email addresses and other types of personal identification. MORE

Jul. 12, 2014

Michael Wilson Crime Scene column; David Tripp is charged with identity theft and grand larceny after multiple incidents of posing as a celebrity stylist to buy thousands of dollars' worth of designer clothing in chic Manhattan boutiques using stolen credit cards. MORE

May. 31, 2014

John R Bolton, former American ambassador to the United Nations, says he has learned that his identity had been stolen by hackers who have been identified as group of Iranians; it is not clear whether they were government agents. MORE

Mar. 15, 2014

Ron Lieber Your Money column offers tips to consumers to keep from becoming victim of credit and debit card fraud, at least until merchants and banks begin to offer assistance. MORE

Mar. 14, 2014

Target acknowledges that its computer security system had alerted it to suspicious activity after hackers infiltrated its network in 2013, but that company ultimately decided to ignore it; lapse led to one of the largest data breaches ever recorded. MORE

Mar. 13, 2014

Editorial holds disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has laid bare serious flaws in passenger identity procedures amid what has become booming world market in stolen and counterfeit passports; observes only airports in United States, Britain and United Arab Emirates perform screenings for stolen passports, and urges more widespread adoption of practice. MORE

Mar. 8, 2014

Ron Lieber Your Money column; First American Bank in Chicago got publicity but little satisfaction after it identified a source of debit card theft and tried to stop it. MORE

Feb. 11, 2014

Ron Lieber Your Money column notes that putting a security freeze on one's credit report from the three big credit bureaus will stop anyone from opening a new account under that name; explains how to sign up for one. MORE

Feb. 8, 2014

Ron Lieber Your Money column on credit and debit card breaches that are seemingly becoming more commonplace; considers how one might lessen odds of being swept up in security breaches. MORE

Feb. 8, 2014

Data breaches at Target and Neiman Marcus were scary, but experts say equally threatening and perhaps more personal attack is a hacker getting into one's email and then using it to take money from bank and brokerage accounts; individuals are urged to be vigilant about using technology and systems in place to prevent accounts from being hacked. MORE

Feb. 3, 2014

American shoppers are making effort to use cash in lieu of cards at stores following disclosures about credit and debit card breaches at several major retailers; trend is leaving consumers struggling to adjust after years of becoming accustomed to convenience of using plastic for most purchases. MORE

Feb. 1, 2014

White Lodging, which manages hotel franchises for chains like Marriott, Hilton and Starwood Hotels, is investigating potential security breach involving customers’ payment information; it is latest instance in a spate of security breaches affecting American businesses. MORE

Jan. 30, 2014

Target says hackers who were behind holiday season theft of credit card data from millions of its customers were able to get into company's system using vendor's credentials; statement comes hours after Atty Gen Eric H Holder Jr says Justice Department is committed to finding those behind attack. MORE

Jan. 26, 2014

Editorial urges retailers, banks and other corporations to do far more to protect customers from identity theft and financial fraud, in light of the discovery that hackers stole credit card and personal information from retailer Target's computers; identifies ways companies can protect consumer, such as chip-based credit cards and limiting the data they collect from customers. MORE

Jan. 24, 2014

Theft of consumer data from Neiman Marcus appears far deeper than had been disclosed originally, as luxury retailer admits that hackers invaded its systems for several months in a breach that involved 1.1 million credit and debit cards; attack seems to have involved the same malaware used to infiltrate systems at Target. MORE

Jan. 22, 2014

Your Money Adviser column on how consumers can protect themselves from data breaches, like those that affected customers of Target; says people who believe their data was stolen have many defenses, including simply changing their passwords. MORE

Jan. 20, 2014

New online phone-call technology, which makes it possible to send huge volumes of calls at the same time, has made it easy for swindlers; they are duping millions of people out of valuable personal information or overwhelming switchboards for essential public services; latest phone schemes, many of which are difficult to track, are causing law enforcement deep concern. MORE

Jan. 17, 2014

Neiman Marcus discloses that it has only now contained cyberattack that began as far back as July 2013, saying it did not learn that customer information had been stolen until mid-December; apologizes to customers whose cards have been used fraudulently. MORE

Dec. 22, 2013

JPMorgan Chase notifies customers who used debit cards at Target stores during security breach that it is limiting use of the cards to cash withdrawals of $100 a day and purchases totaling $300 a day. MORE

Dec. 21, 2013

Target, scrambling to tamp down consumer outrage over theft of credit and debit card data, announces that it will offer a 10 percent discount at its stores during final shopping weekend of the holiday season. MORE

Dec. 20, 2013

Target confirms that hackers stole credit card information from more than 40 million of its customers from Nov 27 to Dec 15, becoming latest victim in cat-and-mouse game between retailers and criminals; experts, citing wide variety of attack strategies, note that even the best security software is no guarantee of safety. MORE

Dec. 20, 2013

Q&A on how best to monitor potentially-compromised credit accounts, in light of hacking breach at Target. MORE

Nov. 16, 2013

Ann Carrns Your Money Adviser column notes that several states have passed laws giving parents right to request credit protections for minors by having a credit record created for them and then frozen; asserts this is good move since children’s personal information is highly valued by identity thieves. MORE

Nov. 10, 2013

Con men and unscrupulous marketers are seizing chance to exploit confusion and frustration surrounding trouble-prone federal Web site for health insurance; state and federal authorities report a rising number of consumer complaints, ranging from deceptive sales practices to identity theft, linked to the health care reform law. MORE

Nov. 2, 2013

Metropolitan Transportation Authority police officers arrest Valer and Teodoro Zaharia in Sea Cliff station of Long Island Railroad as they attempt to retrieve hidden camera used to steal personal identification numbers of commuters purchasing tickets from automated machines; police also arrest Niculae Petre and Dorin Husa in connection with operation; all four are Romanian citizens and could each face up to seven years in prison. MORE

Sep. 3, 2013

Joe Sharkey On the Road column discusses data security for travelers; says steps such as regularly checking credit card statements can help guard against cybercrime. MORE

Jul. 25, 2013

The scheme ran from 2005 until last year and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, prosecutors said. MORE

Jul. 18, 2013

Amanda Zieminski and Clyde Forteau, along with three others, are charged with stealing financial information and using it to issue fake credit cards to fuel spending sprees; prosecutors say Zieminski, who worked for South Shore Physicians on Staten Island and had access to patients' financial records, is at the center of the credit card fraud ring. MORE

Jun. 19, 2013

Federal authorities seize 7-Eleven store in Islip Terrace, Long Island, and indict owners for using stolen identities to recruit and employ over 50 illegal immigrants; say defendants also paid employees only $300 to $500 for 100-hour workweeks and forced them to live in substandard houses; investigation is one of largest inquiries into criminal employment of immigrants and has led to seizure of 14 stores in Virginia and Long Island. MORE

Jun. 18, 2013

Federal authorities seize 14 7-Eleven stores on Long Island and in Virginia in one of the largest criminal immigrant employment investigations ever conducted by the Justice and Homeland Security Departments; prosecutors in New York charge that franchises took in more than $180 million in revenue by running a 'modern-day plantation system' built on unpaid labor of illegal immigrants hired using sham Social Security numbers. MORE

Jun. 1, 2013

Michael Wilson Crime Scene column recounts experience of Upper East Side woman whose bank accounts were drained by thief after her purse and wallet were stolen; notes that woman took all precautionary steps, including canceling bank and credit cards, but thief was nonetheless able to withdraw money in person from banks. MORE